<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Snapshots of Life Before You by PalestAzure</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27992559">Snapshots of Life Before You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalestAzure/pseuds/PalestAzure'>PalestAzure</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Snapshots Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Open Heart (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dual POVs, F/M, Romantic Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:22:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27992559</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalestAzure/pseuds/PalestAzure</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan and Zyra were always meant to be together. They never realized that their lives were connected long before they even met at Edenbrook. And it all happened through one serendipitous moment at a time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Snapshots Series [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2050206</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A TEDDY BEAR FOR YOU</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This follows the similar format of my other story, Snapshots of Life Without You. This is a single story of short stories in chronological order. The story also alternates between Ethan and Zyra's POVs.</p><div class="center">
  <p> </p>
  <p>    <br/>  </p>
</div>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter includes Zyra's family, who were introduced in my Winter series.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An orderly in dark blue scrubs wheeled a patient out the front entrance of the hospital and waited with her by the curb. The woman, in her late twenties, was holding an infant snuggly within her arms. She had just given birth to the child the day before. It’s little eyes were closed, it’s mouth slightly open while it slept wrapped in a white hospital baby blanket with the typical pink and blue stripes. </p><p>The woman gazed down fondly at her sleeping child, almost lost in the reality of its existence.  </p><p>“Janet,” a man following behind called her name. He had a bag slung over one shoulder, while holding the hand of a four-year-old boy, who tried to keep up pace with his dad’s longer strides. “I’m gonna go bring the car around.” He dropped the bag next to her wheelchair. “I’ll take Elliot with me, unless you want him to stay with you.”</p><p>Janet raised her hand and made a shooing gesture. “You two go on ahead. We’ll wait right here. Mr., um,…” She looked up, behind her shoulder at the orderly. “I’m sorry, what’s your name.”</p><p>“Oscar, ma’am.” </p><p>Janet let out an amused laugh. “Oh, no. Am I getting that old already? I’m barely thirty!”</p><p>Oscar’s cheeks turned pink and he smiled gently. “I’m sorry, miss.”</p><p>“Anyway, Quincy” Janet began, turning back to her husband, “Oscar will keep us company until you come back.”</p><p>Quincy nodded and then caressed the newborn’s cheek with his finger. “I’ll be right back, baby girl.” He picked up Elliot and headed off towards the parking lot.</p><p>“We’ll be home soon, baby,” Janet affectionately told her daughter who, even through all of the commotion, was still fast asleep.</p>
<hr/><p>A young boy was wheeled out by an orderly. His mom was right beside him carrying a pair of crutches.</p><p>“Hey, Oscar,” the boy’s orderly greeted.</p><p>“Hey, Peter.” Oscar looked at the boy, whose right leg was in a cast and elevated in the foot plate. “<em>Poor kid</em>,” He whispered to his coworker. </p><p>Overhearing, the young boy rolled his eyes and remained silent. He had a book open on his lap, but he gave a side glance at the woman beside him holding a baby.  </p><p>“Oh, Ethan, I forgot my purse inside! I’ll be right back,” his mom said. “Your dad should be around soon with the car.” She handed the crutches to the orderly and ran back inside.</p><p>Both orderlies stepped back and stood by the wall, making private talk. Ethan continued reading his book. It was a children’s book about Colorado. His dad gave it to him while he was recuperating in the hospital. It was obviously picked up at the hospital gift shop, based on the gift shop’s name on the price tag located on the back of the book. Ethan had already memorized the content and wished he had something that gave information that wasn’t dumbed down for a kid his age, nine years old to be exact. The book was mostly filled with annotated pictures and a few sentences about the topic. With his photographic memory, at least it kept his mind preoccupied until he could return to his <em>real</em> books. </p><p>“What happened to you, baby?” Ethan heard the woman ask him. </p><p>He wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers. He was also a bit shy talking to people he didn’t know. But the woman looked nice, and he noticed how she held that baby carefully and protectively. </p><p>“I was skiing and broke my leg.” </p><p>His dad, Alan, usually took them skiing near their home in Providence, but Colorado was always known to have the best places to ski in the country. Alan had saved for almost a year for the trip with his dream of skiing on the slopes of Colorado finally coming true. Ethan’s family went to the Winter Park Ski Resort near Denver, but it ended with a hospital visit and Ethan’s broken leg.</p><p>“You poor thing.” Janet looked sympathetically at the young boy. “I’ll pray for your quick recovery.”</p><p>Ethan felt his cheeks flush and he dropped his gaze back to his book. Prayer wasn’t something he was used to hearing. His parents were Protestant in name only. He never went to a church, or prayed to a god, or had to read scriptures. (Though he did begin reading a Bible he found in a drawer at home for educational purposes and to challenge himself with his reading level.)</p><p>He saw the woman slightly lean sideways in her wheelchair in his direction.</p><p>“What are you reading there?” Ethan held up the book. The title read <em>Welcome to Colorado</em>. “Are you not from here?”</p><p>Ethan shook his head. “We’re on vacation,” he simply said.</p><p>“You broke your leg on vacation?” Ethan couldn’t ignore the shocked expression that now covered her face.</p><p>“Accidents can happen anywhere.” He shrugged and turned to the next page in his book. </p><p>“My, you sound quite mature for your age.” The woman chuckled softly. </p><p>Her movements caught Ethan’s attention. He watched as she reached into a bag beside her and pulled out a brown stuffed teddy bear. “Here, baby. I want you to have this.” She held the bear out to him while cradling her baby in her other arm. </p><p>The young boy gave her a wide-eyed look as his gaze flicked between her warm smile and the bear. He hesitantly took the gift and set it in his lap on top of his book. The bear’s big black eyes were staring at him. It’s stitched smile on its snout gave the animal a soft, friendly expression. It’s something that was designed to elicit joy and comfort. Ethan began to feel both.</p><p>“Um, thank you. Are you sure it’s okay?” he asked the woman.</p><p>“Oh, yes. It was for my baby, but she’s got tons waiting for her at home. I don’t think she’ll miss it.” Janet gently angled the baby in her arms so Ethan could see her more closely. </p><p>The baby’s entire body was covered with the blanket. Just her little round, wrinkly face was all that was peeking out from beneath.</p><p>“Thank you, little baby,” Ethan said to the sleeping newborn. “I’ll keep it safe.”</p><p>The baby moved within her bundle, her eyes fluttering open. She made little cooing sounds as she awakened. Her eyes searched around her new environment. Suddenly, they stopped on the young boy and she cooed again. </p><p>“Looks like she’s saying hello,” Janet said, amused. </p><p>“Hello,” Ethan responded sweetly. The gentle innocence in the baby’s dark brown eyes made him feel more joy and comfort than the teddy bear had. </p><p>A car soon pulled up and a man stepped out. He opened the back car door, and Ethan saw another child in the backseat. After the man took the newborn and put her in her car seat, he helped the woman next. </p><p>Before she entered the car, she turned around and waved at the young boy. “Take care of yourself.”</p><p>Ethan waved back and watched the car drive off, turn out from the car lane in front of the hospital, and disappear. Oscar, the orderly, took the woman’s wheelchair back inside, leaving Ethan all alone with Peter as he waited for his parents. He now had the teddy bear from the kind woman. And when he looked back into its eyes, he noticed they weren’t completely black as he thought. There was a dark brown rim around each eye, just like the blue that colored his own. Sometimes he could see that little baby looking right back at him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And yes, that is the same "CPR" teddy bear introduced in Book 2 Chapter 19 Diamond scene. 🤣</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A SNOWMAN WITH YOU</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zyra was spending the holidays with a family friend up in Providence. Her parents were out shopping, while she and her brother were being looked after by Hannah, their mom’s childhood friend, who had moved to Rhode Island with her husband a decade ago. </p><p>The six-year-old girl ran out the front door, pushing the screen door with all her strength to escape the confines of the house. She had on a bright blue beanie, a thick, puffy jacket with a hood, mittens to keep her tiny hands warm, and a pair of light blue snow boots with yellow polka dots. She was ready!</p><p>She carefully took one step at a time down the porch steps until she reached the snow-covered front lawn.</p><p>“Elliot, go keep your sister company,” Hannah walked outside with Zyra’s older brother. She took a seat on her porch swing and began to puff slowly on a cigarette. </p><p>Zyra fell back onto the snow, giggling widely as she made a snow angel. “Look, El! I’m angel!” </p><p>Elliot stared down and waved a carrot at her. “Didn’tcha wanna make a snowman?”</p><p>“I do! I do! I do!” Zyra rolled around in the snow before raising her little body to her feet. </p><p>Elliot helped his little sister roll the three balls and place them on top of each other. The snowman was almost Zyra’s height. </p><p>“Dis da nose?” Zyra innocently asked while picking up the carrot.</p><p>“Duh.” Her brother pointed to the middle of the snowman’s head. “Stick it here.”</p><p>She took the narrow tip and tried putting it into the head, turning it at first with one hand. When it wasn’t sticking, she tried using both hands. </p><p>“Jeez, Zee. You’re hopeless.” Elliot snatched the carrot from her. </p><p>Zyra pouted, her lip quivering as tears began to glisten in her eyes.</p><p>“Like this.” Holding the carrot in a tight grip, her brother jammed the wider end of the carrot into the snowball. “See. Easy.”</p><p>“Lemme try!” As Zyra reached to take the carrot, Elliot grabbed her little wrist and pushed it away and out of reach of the snowman’s nose. </p><p>“No. I don’t want ya ruining it.” He looked around and picked up a stone that wasn’t buried under the snow. “We need more of these. I’mma look in the backyard. You look here.” Elliot raced down the side yard and vanished behind the house, leaving behind a trail of his footprints in the snow. </p><p>The telephone rang from inside. Hannah got up and called out to the little girl, “I’ll be right back, Zee.” She headed inside, leaving Zyra alone in the front yard. The little girl took to her knees and began searching through the snow for small stones, just like her brother said.</p>
<hr/><p>Ethan was on winter break from school. He had just completed the first half of his freshman year of high school. He had mid-term exams when he returned from break, so he usually stayed inside studying to prepare for them. His dad was always gone at work, so Ethan spent most of the day at home in his books or outside in the neighborhood with his friends. Most of his friends were away for the holidays, but two of them–Ron and Antonio–stayed in town like him. </p><p>The sidewalks and lawns were covered with snow. The streets were freshly plowed. The three of them ran after each other, sliding along the slick pavement and tossing snowballs to see who could hit someone first. Ethan ducked behind a parked car on the side of the street as Ron hurled a fastball at him. It slammed and burst against the driver-side window. Ethan laughed at his friend’s poor aim. Rising from behind the car, he threw his snowball and hit Ron right in his kisser. Antonio took the opportunity to throw his snowball as well, hitting an already stunned Ron upside his head. Both Antonio and Ethan bent over, cackling. </p><p>“Damn, guys.” Ron wiped the snow from his reddened face. “That’s too hard.”</p><p>“I don’t think we agreed to any specific rules.” Ethan slyly smirked while kicking snow up at Ron. </p><p>“Hey, guys, over here!” Antonio called out. “Look at Ms. Mitchell’s Christmas display.” </p><p>The three amigos stood on the sidewalk facing Ms. Mitchell’s lawn. It was covered with Christmas lawn inflatables—Santa Claus in a sleigh with Rudolph leading the way, a large penguin with a cap and scarf, another Santa Clause but riding a polar bear, a large gingerbread man wearing a Santa hat and holding a candy cane, and all of the Charlie Brown characters in scarves and hats. </p><p>Ms. Mitchell was someone who Ethan and his friends enjoyed pranking. For Halloween, they covered her entire lawn with flour because she didn’t give out anything for trick or treaters. Now, it looked like they had another idea, a light bulb moment, as they say. </p><p>“This is a bit over the top, don’t you think?” Ron said, while forming a snowball in his hand.</p><p>“You think?” Ethan looked between his friends and they all laughed at the ridiculousness of the display. “No one should be forced to see this.”</p><p>“I bet I could hit more of them than you both combined,” Antonio challenged. He began to ball up some snow. </p><p>“You’re on.” Ethan also began forming his own snowballs. </p><p>All three began hurling one snowball after another at the inflatables. Ron’s aim was still rather poor, but Ethan and Antonio were evenly matched. Antonio threw one so hard that it pierced the penguin and it slowly started to deflate. It made a little wiggly dance as it dropped to the ground, flat and dead.</p><p>“Oh, shit!” Antonio muttered. </p><p>Ms. Mitchell’s front door opened and the gang quickly sprinted away. Ethan could hear her yelling from the distance, “You hooligans!”</p><p>They turned the corner and continued running down the street, laughing hysterically along the way. They finally stopped. Their cheeks and noses were rosy from the cold and the run, and they could see their breath in the air as they huffed and puffed.</p><p>“That was close,” Antonio said. He was bent over with his hands on his knees, catching his breath. </p><p>“But worth it,” Ethan replied, smiling wide. He adjusted his scarf and beanie. </p><p>“Hey, look.” Ron pointed to a yard with a small snowman and a young girl placing some stones in a vertical line alongs its chest. “That’s a poor excuse of a snowman!”</p><p>“It’s just a little kid, Ron.” Ethan said, not clearly amused. </p><p>“Oh, come on. Where’s your sense of adventure, Ethan.” Ron began to form another snowball.</p><p>“What’re you doing?” Antonio asked.</p><p>“I bet you I can knock off that carrot.” Ron positioned himself ready to pitch his throw.</p><p>“Don’t. Just leave the kid alone.” Ethan glowered at his friend.</p><p>Ron ignored him and threw his snowball. This time, his aim hit its target and the carrot went flying off the snowman’s head. The sound and debris from the impact made the little girl scream and fall into the snow onto her butt. Her ski cap was now covered with snow. Her little face was all scrunched up, looking as if she was about to cry.</p><p>“What the hell?” Ethan nearly yelled. </p><p>“That wasn’t cool!” Antonio frowned at Ron.</p><p>“She’s fine. Besides, it’s just some Black kid anyway.” Ron shrugged, dismissively.</p><p>In response, Ethan sent something flying of his own—his fist. His right hook to his friend’s jaw sent Ron stumbling backwards, nearly falling down. </p><p>“Dammit, Ethan! Why’d you do that?” Ron clutched his jaw. </p><p>Antonio stood in shock, his mouth hanging open as he looked between his friends. The hot tension between them could melt the snow on the ground.  </p><p>“Fuck off, Ron!” Ethan turned around and walked towards the little girl. He slowly approached her and saw that she was still sitting in the snow, quietly crying as she held something in her hand. When he finally reached her, he saw that it was the carrot, broken in half. </p><p>“Hi there.” Ethan lowered himself onto his knees in front of her. “I’m sorry. My fr— That guy is a real…” He wanted to say <em>asshole</em>, but paid mind to his audience.</p><p>“<em>Butthead</em>.” The little girl completed his sentence for him.  </p><p>Ethan nearly choked on his unexpected chuckle. “Yes, butthead.” He gently dusted off the snow from her head. But the little girl continued looking down sadly at the broken carrot, sniffling and wiping at her eyes with one of her mitted hands.</p><p>“His nose break.” Her tone matched her sad expression. </p><p>“May I?” Ethan held out his hand and gently smiled at her. </p><p>The girl looked up at him with tears staining her face. “Okay.” She placed the carrot parts into his palm. </p><p>“So what’s your name?” He asked while examining the broken “nose”. </p><p>“Zee,” she answered through a sniffle. </p><p>“Nice to meet you, Zee. You can call me Dr. E.” He pulled out a pack of gum from his jacket pocket, slid out a piece, and popped it into his mouth.</p><p>Zyra’s eyes grew round and large. “Y-you a doctor?” </p><p>“You won’t believe this, but I’m a special snowman doctor,” he replied while chewing on the gum. “I go around from house to house checking on all of the snowmen. We don’t want them hurt or sick for Christmas, do we?”</p><p>Zee sat up straight, her face beaming. “No, doctor!” </p><p>“Let’s see what I can do for your guy here.” Ethan pulled the gum out from his mouth and stuck it on the end of one half of the broken carrot. Then he offered it to the girl. “Hold this end tightly.”</p><p>Zee tentatively reached out to take it, but then recoiled her hand. “What if I hurt him?”</p><p>“You won’t. I promise. In fact, you’ll make him feel better.” He smiled warmly. </p><p>She gave him the largest smile as she took the carrot piece in both of her hands. Ethan took the other piece and pressed the broken end against the gum. “Okay. Hold it tight,” he said as he gently pushed to get the ends to stick. He then slowly released his grip, revealing the restored length of the carrot. “He’s all better.” </p><p>The little girl got up and jumped up and down, the snow crunching underneath the soles of her boots. “Thank you! Thank you!” She stuck the carrot back into its head and squealed happily. </p><p>Ethan helped his new little friend finish the snowman by placing stones for the eyes and mouth. He was tall enough to pull a few thin branches from the tree in the front yard for the arms. </p><p>“Hmmm?” Ethan caressed his chin as he looked over the snowman.</p><p>Zee pouted as she stared up at her snowman doctor. “What wrong?”</p><p>“He’s missing something.” Ethan removed the scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around the snowman. “There. Now he’s perfect.”</p><p>Antonio had been sitting on the curb waiting for Ethan, but Ron had already left. Ethan waved at the little girl before he returned to his friend.</p><p>“You gotta soft spot for kids now?” Antonio nudged Ethan with his shoulder.</p><p>“Shut up,” Ethan said, smiling to himself.</p><p>He and his friend walked back to their block of the neighborhood and continued on with their day. </p>
<hr/><p>Elliot returned with a handful of stones. But what he returned to was a finished snowman. His sister was adjusting the scarf while humming <em>Jingle Bells</em> to herself.</p><p>“What happened?” he asked her. </p><p>“Da snowman doctor help me! Look! He all better!” She kissed her snowman’s healed nose and wrapped her arms around its torso, stretching her tiny arms as far as they could go. </p><p>“You’re weird, Zee. So weird.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter played off information about how Ethan and his gang "terrorized the block", according to Alan in the Book 2 Chapter 19 diamond scene.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. TAKING YOUR ORDER</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was Zyra’s first year of college. She worked her ass off in high school to get scholarships to attend the prestigious University of Denver. She was double majoring in biology and chemistry with plans of studying pharmacology. Because of the double major, she took up a full time job as a server at a five-starred Michelin restaurant. The tips were quite generous. They helped her pay her bills and to save money for her masters. </p><p>The current evening was a busy time because it was a Saturday night. The restaurant was packed with a wait time of an hour. Guests wearing fancy dinner attire crowded the entrance, taking up all of the seats in the waiting area. Some stood outside in the cold, pulling their coats tighter around themselves. Others were able to find a space at the bar as they waited to be called. </p><p>A group of three men had just been seated by the hostess in Zyra’s section. She was finishing delivering a food order to a couple celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. It had already been a long and stressful evening, but Zyra was an expert at hiding her feelings behind a smile. If her studies didn’t play out as planned, at least she knew she would do well in customer service. </p><p>She rolled her shoulders and straightened her posture as she approached the table. All of the men were dressed in suits. Two of them had their ties loosened, their collars unbuttoned. The third had removed his suit jacket and tie and had them draped across the back of his chair. Two looked a bit young, perhaps in their mid to late twenties. The other looked the oldest in the group, but still held a youthful appearance. They were either businessmen or people from that medical convention that was taking place in the city the entire week. It didn’t matter to Zyra. All she hoped was that they tipped well.</p><p>“Good evening,” she smiled at the men. But she noticed that there was an empty space marked with a menu for a fourth person. </p><p>“Hey, there. One of us isn’t here yet,” one of the men explained. </p><p>“That’s not a problem. Can I start you all off with a drink?”</p><p>They each gave their drink orders, but one of them held a jokester persona about him. He leaned forward on the table, catching Zyra’s attention with a glint of humor in his eyes. “And this guy here,” he says pointing to the empty space, “will have a Bud Light.”</p><p>The other two men burst out laughing.</p><p>“He’s gonna kill you if you order that for him,” another man said.</p><p>Zyra just smiled, trying to go along with whatever inside joke there was to be had with this group. “Actually, we don’t have Bud Light here.”</p><p>“Really? How about Budweiser? Miller Light? Coors?”</p><p>“Corona?” another from the group jumped in. </p><p>“I’m sorry. We only serve craft beers on tap. We have a variety of IPAs, German Pilsners—”</p><p>“I’ll just stop you right there, honey.” The older man held up his hand at her. “Just bring a root beer.” He looked at Zyra seriously and then broke out into a terrible laugh. His dinner mates joined him. </p><p>“Sure. I can do that. I’ll be right back with your drink orders.” Zyra dropped her smile the moment she turned around. </p><p>She placed the drink order at the bar and went to grab a bottle of root beer and a glass. She tried turning the twist top, but it wouldn’t budge. She tried again, this time pressing her palm into it and twisting. Soon she felt a sharp sting and saw blood flowing down her wrist. She grabbed a towel and wrapped her hand. Another server saw the incident and approached her.</p><p>“Zyra, you okay?” </p><p>“Yeah, Darlene. I just cut myself.”</p><p>“But Zyra, you’re already bleeding through the towel.” Darlene took her to the bathroom. “I’m gonna go tell the manager.”</p><p>Before Zyra could refute, her coworker had already retreated. Zyra unwrapped the towel from around her hand. Her palm was covered in blood and in the center was a deep gash.</p><p>“Oh no, this looks like it might need stitches.” She sighed as she placed her hand under the running faucet, wincing at the pain. </p><p>There was a knock at the door. “Zyra, this is Kathy. Can I come in?”</p><p>Kathy was the manager, and Zyra knew she would be sent home. She couldn’t leave her shift. She needed the money, and Saturday was the best night of the week for tips. </p><p>Kathy entered and saw the damage. She turned away at the sight of the blood. It looked like she was about to puke or pass out. “You need to go home or to urgent care. You can’t work tonight with that wound,” she explained while keeping her gaze away from the bloody scene. </p><p>“But my shift…”</p><p>“That’s why I’m the manager. I’ll get it covered. You just take care of that.” She waved her hand. “We’ll file an incident report tomorrow, okay?” </p><p>When Kathy left, Zyra stared at herself in the mirror and chastised herself for her stupidity. She then grabbed some paper towels to wrap her hand and clean up the blood in the sink. </p><hr/><p>Ethan groaned at the sight of the crowd surrounding the entrance to the restaurant. He regretted agreeing to join some of his colleagues for dinner. He’d received a text message on his Blackberry, something his colleagues still teased him about because he didn’t have an iPhone or a Samsung smartphone. Ethan wasn’t ready to switch over to something else. </p><p>But the text message told him they had already been seated. </p><p>Ethan waded through the crowd and finally made his way to the hostess. After explaining his situation, she personally took him to his colleagues. </p><p>“There you are! Finally off of Banerji’s leash.”</p><p>Ethan sat down and narrowed his eyes at his colleague. “Don’t disrespect Dr. Banerji like that, Isaac.”</p><p>It was Ethan’s second year in his residency at Edenbrook in Boston. He was being mentored by the infamous Dr. Naveen Banerji, a diagnostician who influenced him to apply to the program. Dr. Banerji invited Ethan to go along with him to the medical convention. Two third-year residents and an attending had joined them as well on the trip. His mentor had advised him to spend some time with them in order to get to know his colleagues better. Ethan had reluctantly agreed. Dr. Banerji was preparing for tomorrow’s presentation, so he had to pass on the dinner. </p><p>“So, we already ordered you a drink,” the older doctor said. He pressed his lips together to stifle his laughter. </p><p>“Thank you, Dr. Toussaint.” Ethan picked up the menu and began browsing the selections. </p><p>Soon the server appeared with the drinks. “Hello, I’m Darlene. I’ll be taking over as your server this evening.” She set the drinks on the table.</p><p>“Where’s the other girl?” Isaac asked. </p><p>“Her shift ended. So I hope you’re okay with me,” she winked, an obvious flirtatious move on her part. </p><p>“I don’t mind at all,” Astor, the other resident said as he winked back at her.</p><p>Ethan glanced over his menu and noticed the drink set in front of him. It was a soda of some kind. He was the youngest of the group. The soda was a symbol of status among these doctors and used as a common joke. As they drank some craft beer or hard liquor, he was stuck with a soda, like some child at a family restaurant. </p><p>When the server finished taking the other’s orders, Ethan gave his order and confidently stated, “And two fingers of scotch.” </p><p>He’d started drinking in college, but it was in med school when he expanded his palette to more finer alcohols, with scotch becoming his preference. And tonight, if he were going to have to spend time being hazed by his colleagues, a scotch—any scotch—would help ease the pain of having to suffer an entire evening with them.</p><p>Ethan needed a moment before the food arrived. He stood up from his chair and slid the glass of root beer toward the center of the table. </p><p>“Save this for an actual child. I don’t think a <em>child</em> would have written and published an undergrad thesis about spinocerebellar ataxia in a top medical journal at the age of 21.”</p><p>Ethan wasn’t one to brag, but it usually got people to shut up when he was being underestimated. And in this case, it did. He watched as they averted their eyes from him and looked between each other as they quietly sipped on their adult beverages. </p><p>He retreated from the table and headed towards the bathroom. He realized he didn’t know where it was, so he stood in the center of the restaurant looking around until he saw the sign. Once he reached the hallway, there were two doors. Neither was marked for any sex. He reached for the handle of the first door, but before he could even touch it, the door opened and he was bumped into by the person coming from inside. His breath caught in his chest. </p><p>“Oh, sorry,” a young, female voice said. </p><p>“It’s alright.”</p><p>Her head was down with her arm cradled against her stomach. She never once looked up at him, but simply apologized, moved around him, and darted away towards the other end of the hall. He didn’t see her face, but only saw her from behind. She was of above average height for a woman. She had long braids pulled back into a single ponytail. Her outfit was similar to those of the servers. She obviously worked there. But before she had walked away, he saw her hand wrapped in brown paper towels, spotted with blood. He frowned as he watched her leave towards a door marked <em>Employees Only</em>. He wondered if he should go after her and see if she needed some help. But by the time he had made a decision, she had already disappeared through the door, a place he could not follow. </p><p>Ethan stood there quietly, staring at the door and hoped that she would be okay, wherever she was headed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. THE BOOK SHARED WITH YOU</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Zyra had entered college, she hadn’t planned to become a doctor. She also hadn’t planned on specifically being a diagnostician. But it was in one of her junior year chemistry classes where she did a research paper on a topic of her choice. She had planned to do one on a topic related to pharmacology, but the more she researched, the more she came across the name Ethan Ramsey. She found his undergrad thesis in a popular medical journal, a video of him co-presenting on Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome with Dr. Naveen Banerji, and some research papers he had already written and published as a medical resident. He had even already won his first medical award during his third year of residency. But what really impressed her was his advocacy for improvements in patient care. The more she researched about him, the more she felt inspired by this medical genius. As a result, she not only wrote a paper on the topic of diagnostics, she was also inspired to apply to medical school with hopes that she could one day learn from and work with him at Edenbrook. </p><p>But she had to go to medical school first. </p><p>Her parents had thought it would be best for her to take a gap year before she committed to the rigours of studying and training to become a doctor. Zyra had been working too hard through high school and college, and her parents felt that a small break may help her. But Zyra refused. She didn’t want to waste any time. And the sooner she finished med school, the sooner she could apply for the residency program at Edenbrook. And the sooner she could learn from her medical hero. And the sooner she could help as many people as she could.</p><p>Following in her hero’s footsteps, she applied to Johns Hopkins. She also applied to other medical schools, but Hopkins was her first choice. When the acceptance letter arrived, she literally ran around her studio apartment, screaming wildly at the top of her lungs. She jumped up on the couch, hopping up and down like a kid high on sugar. She felt she earned a moment to indulge in some childish antics.</p><p>There was no turning back now. </p><p>She traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to take a tour of the campus. Zyra was in awe as she walked through the campus grounds. She felt her pulse race at the excitement of knowing that she was going to study there in a few months’ time. She carried around a small notebook where she took notes on everything she saw. She even sketched a map of the campus and labeled the important sites. One of the sites was the Milton S. Eisenhower Library. </p><p>She smiled up at the large building, as she took deep breaths. She felt both nervous and excited as she took the steps leading into the building. The library was spacious and large. She could spend the entire day just in there, she thought. She looked at the time and realized that she actually could. Taking her time, she walked through different areas, exploring the many stacks of books that she knew she could easily get lost in. There were so many books to entertain her curious mind, her thirst for knowledge. She couldn’t wait for her first research assignment. </p><p>She came across a section about pathology. Her fingers skimmed the spines of the books as she walked past them. Her fingers stopped on one, <em>Pathologic Basis of Disease</em>. She pulled it from the shelf and began flipping through the pages. Her body slowly sank to the floor until she was sitting down with the book splayed across her lap. She got lost in reading about different types of diseases, with the most engaging section being about infectious diseases. </p><p>Her phone buzzed in her pocket. When she pulled it out, she saw a text from her boyfriend back in Denver. She glanced at the time and realized how long she had been sitting there—almost a couple of hours. She stood up, placed the book back on the shelf, and finally decided to leave to explore another area of campus before she had to head back to Colorado the next day.</p><hr/><p>Ethan was a guest lecturer for a pathology course at Johns Hopkins. Naveen was supposed to do it. His schedule wouldn’t allow it, so Ethan went in his place. It had been years since Ethan walked the grounds of his alma mater. He passed by the buildings where he remembered he had taken classes. He even passed by the building where he was almost successful in commandeering a cadaver for Tobias. He shook his head and laughed to himself at the foolish memory. </p><p>He entered the lecture hall where he was going to give a four-hour lecture the next day. He walked down the steps towards the front of the classroom, noticing a few changes since he had last been inside a similar room. There was definitely more technology and a podium that commanded it. </p><p>He stood at the front of the classroom looking up at the many rows of seats in front of him. He usually sat in the middle, not too close but also not too far away from the professor. He wanted to ensure he was heard whenever he questioned or called out his professor on the content of the lecture. If his peers were to become doctors, he wanted himself and them to receive accurate information. Sometimes he took it upon himself to directly correct mistakes his professors made to the class. And he was never ashamed of it. </p><p>Now that he was teaching for one day, he held himself to the same standard.</p><p>He went through the controls on the podium, and accessed the computer to practice pulling up his slides. Ethan was not one to not be prepared. When he was finished and felt comfortable with the technology, he decided to take a stroll down to one of his favorite places on campus—the library. </p><p>He roamed the stacks, remembering where every genre and topic were located. He quietly walked past the shelves and turned into the aisle for pathology. When he did, he saw a woman just leaving the aisle on the opposite end. He was thankful he was to be alone. </p><p>Ethan’s eyes scanned the titles on the spines until they stopped on one in particular—<em>Pathologic Basis of Disease</em>. He pulled it off the shelf, but the book felt warm in his hands, as if it had been recently used. There was even a lingering warmth on the pages when he touched them. </p><p>He took the book with him to an empty table and flipped to the sections he would focus on in his lecture. This was the textbook the students were using, so he wanted to ensure the information was not only accurate, but was consistent with his own. </p><p>He spent the next hour reading and memorizing the important pages from the book, which still held an unusual sense of warmth between his fingers.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zyra was on the couch watching a YouTube video of her medical hero ripping apart the research in a keynote speech at that year’s American Academy of Diagnostic Medicine conference. The keynote speech was given by the president of the American Medical Association, and that in itself made Dr. Ethan Ramsey notorious. She had watched the video numerous times, and it never got old. It made her laugh. It made her wince. It made her angry at the president. It made her admire Ethan Ramsey even more. It even made her a bit scared at the possibility of having to be subjected to his serious and harsh demeanor if she did get the opportunity to work with him. </p><p>She would apply to the program next year. If she made a mistake, would he act the same way towards her? </p><p>“Ready?” Lillian, her roommate asked her, cutting off Zyra’s thoughts.</p><p>“Yup!” Zyra closed her laptop and grabbed the handle on her rolling suitcase. </p><p>Zyra and Lillian had finished their third year of medical school, and were about to begin their final year. In celebration, they decided to take a road trip up the east coast from Maryland all the way to Maine. They felt it would be their only opportunity before they finished medical school and went straight into their residencies. </p><p>They packed Lillian’s black Subaru Outback and headed north. Their first stop, coffee!</p><p>“Don’t you have family friends in Rhode Island? Maybe we can visit them.” Lillian suggested. </p><p>“No. They moved years ago to Florida.” </p><p>“Oh. Well, too bad we’re not heading south!” </p><p>They stopped in all of the major cities along the way: Philadelphia, New York, and Hartford. Now they were in Boston. Zyra had asked Lillian to drive past Edenbrook. When she saw it, she almost cried, swallowing back her tears of joy. </p><p>“I’m going to work here one day. I know it.” </p><p>“You will. And I’m gonna go somewhere on the west coast where it’s warmer.” Lillian couldn’t help but laugh.</p><p>Their next stop was a cat cafe. It was something Lillian was always interested in. She did her research about them and found one that was highly rated in downtown Boston. They ordered some coffee and played with some of the cats. </p><p>“You know, I should get a cat when we go back,” Lillian said while scratching under the chin of a grey tabby.</p><p>“You should. They can help with all the stress.” Zyra had a calico rubbing against her ankles.</p><p>Her roommate’s eyes widened. An idea appeared to be forming in her mind. “Okay, how about this? Let’s go check out the animal shelter here. Maybe there’s a cat that’s meant to be mine.”</p><p>Zyra set her coffee cup on the glass table and frowned. “But we’re on a road trip. It doesn’t seem very logistical.”</p><p>Lillian clapped her hands. “Let’s just look. If I find one, we’ll just figure it out then. Please.” She stuck out her lower lip and gave Zyra the sad puppy eyes. </p><p>“Fine. Fine. You cat-obsessed fiend.” Zyra smiled against the rim of her cup as she finished her coffee.</p><p>A quick Google search and a twenty-minute drive later, they reached the Boston Rescue Shelter. Zyra noticed a bounce in her roommate’s step as they approached the building. Even when she spoke, the pitch of her voice was higher.</p><p>The building had multiple areas, with each area separated based on animal type. Their first stop was the cats. Lillian made kisses at all of the cats. She even tapped on the glass to try to get some of their attention. But she nearly freaked out when she saw the kittens. They were little balls of fluff with eyes and ears bigger than their heads. Some chirped at her, trying to talk, which made Lillian feign passing out. She fell against Zyra’s side.</p><p>“Ohmygod, the cuteness is killing me!”</p><p>“There there.” Zyra patted her friend’s back. “Why don’t you enjoy the cats. I’m gonna go check out the other animals. Text me when you’re done.”</p><p>Zyra left her over-excited ailurophile. She walked through the other areas and came across the dogs. There were a variety of breeds of different ages and sizes. She strolled through the aisles but then came across a litter of puppies off in the corner. They were all labradors, with one being a chocolate brown in contrast to the two yellows and the two blacks. The brown one was off by itself in the corner, while the others—possibly its siblings—were playing, biting at each other’s ears, chasing their tails, rolling around together. </p><p>Zyra knelt down and placed her hand on the glass across from the lonely lab. </p><p>“Hi, buddy. You doing okay in there?”</p><p>The lab raised its head, then raised itself up on wobbly legs, as it stumbled towards Zyra. She heard it whine when it pressed its nose against the glass where her hand was placed. It then sat down on its hind legs and looked at her, tilting its head with its eyes telling her, <em>adopt me</em>. </p><p>Zyra felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She didn’t want to leave him, but she knew that she didn’t have the time to take care of a dog. And if her roommate was going to get a cat, then a dog would definitely be out of the question. </p><p>“There you are!” Zyra turned her head towards Lillian. “You bonding with that beautiful creature there?”</p><p>Zyra glanced back at the puppy, who was still staring at her. She dropped her hand and stood up. The brown lab immediately rose to all fours. </p><p>“Goodbye, buddy. I hope you find a good home.” As Zyra walked away, the puppy ran along the glass until it had nowhere else to run. She heard it whining loudly as she exited. </p><p>“So I decided not to get a cat. But not until we get back home!”</p><p>“Good call, Lillian.”</p><hr/><p>Ethan and Harper had broken up a month ago. During that time, Ethan moved into a condo of his own. He noticed how empty and lonely his place was whenever he came home. Most nights, he preferred staying at the hospital and losing himself in his work in order to fight the aching loneliness he felt at times. </p><p>During one of his late nights, he read an article about the physical and mental health benefits of owning a dog. The article planted the seed in his mind to possibly consider adopting one. Perhaps, a dog would be the companion he might need right now at this time in his life, when all other relationships seemed to have failed him. </p><p>Ethan made the trip to the Boston Rescue Shelter that weekend. He parked between a red Toyota Camry and a black Subaru Outback. He took a long breath before he exited the car, being uncertain about why he was even there in the first place. He told himself that looking wouldn’t hurt. Getting a dog, a living creature, was a big commitment, and he believed he wouldn’t take to one anyway. Or one wouldn’t take to him.  </p><p>He went inside, found the dog area, and took his time browsing. The area was loud with the sounds of barking, but he tried to drown out the noise by focusing on what he was looking at. He stopped in front of a brown chihuahua. He read the tag on the door. It’s name was Copper and it was two years old. It was curled up and sleeping. It was cute but Ethan didn’t think he would want such a small dog, so he kept walking. </p><p>He continued following the path that took him around to see all of the dogs, but nothing felt right to him. He was about to give up and head back to his car when he spotted a litter of puppies. There were five of them, but one of them sat alone in the corner, watching the other ones play without it. In that moment, Ethan felt a pang in his heart, one of understanding and loneliness. He knelt down across from the puppy and watched it. Suddenly, it turned its head in his direction. It’s big sad eyes met Ethan’s and it got up and shuffled toward him on his four chubby legs. It tapped the glass with its nose, which made Ethan smile. In response, Ethan tapped back. The dog’s tail began to wag and it’s mouth opened wide as if it were smiling. </p><p>“He must like you,” a person from behind him said. </p><p>Ethan stood up to meet them. They were wearing a polo shirt with the shelter’s logo on it. </p><p>“You must work here.”</p><p>“I do. And that little guy is always off on his own. He doesn’t interact with anyone.”</p><p>Ethan glanced back at the puppy, who was staring up at him. </p><p>“Would you like to meet him?” The volunteer asked.</p><p>Ethan nodded and followed the volunteer into a small meeting room. But on his way, he could hear the puppy whining behind him. Ethan waited a few minutes until the volunteer returned, cradling the lab in their arms. </p><p>Once the puppy laid eyes on Ethan, it wiggled out of the volunteer’s arms. It was so strong, the person couldn’t hold onto it any longer. The brown lab jumped to the floor and ran up to Ethan, jumping up on his leg. Ethan chuckled as he picked the puppy up. He was met with lots of wet kisses across his face. </p><p>“I’ve never seen him so excited,” the volunteer said.</p><p>“What’s his name?” Ethan asked while never once taking his eyes off of the happy pup.</p><p>“His temporary name is Chocolate, but you are free to name him whatever you want.”</p><p>Chocolate jumped from Ethan’s lap and howled at him. He then turned around in a full 360, his tail wagging behind him. His front paws padded against the floor before he ran back and began nuzzling against Ethan’s legs. </p><p>The feeling the dog was giving him helped him forget his loneliness. And perhaps he was helping Chocolate forget his too. </p><p>The pup got up onto its hind legs, its front paws resting on Ethan’s thigh. Ethan affectionately stroked the top of his head as they both stared at each other. When looking into the dog’s eyes, everything became clear to him. And one thing that became clear was a name.</p><p>“You wanna come home with me, Jenner?”</p><p>The little pup barked.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. A TREAT FOR YOU… OR FOR ME?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zyra moved to Boston a week prior. Tomorrow was her first day of her residency at Edenbrook. She was nervous, excited, scared, and happy all at once. She wondered who she would meet in her cohort. She wondered about her first cases of the day. She wondered what she was going to learn. But most of all, she wondered if she was going to see Dr. Ethan Ramsey. </p><p>Her stomach turned just thinking about him. She wondered if she would be good enough to impress him. She didn’t have to impress him on her first day, or even during her first year. One day, she would impress him enough to be part of the Diagnostics team that Edenbrook is famous for. That also meant she would see Dr. Naveen Banerji, too! The top two diagnosticians in the country? She began to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of working with them both one day.</p><p>She flipped through the textbook he had written, <em>Diagnostic Principles</em>. It was the one she used during her diagnostics class last year in medical school. Zyra felt the need to cram for… something. But what was there to cram for? She already had everything she needed for her first day. Anything else would be learned one day at a time. She closed the book and put it back on her shelf, next to the journals that had Ethan’s articles. </p><p>To ease her nerves, she decided to make herself a nice dinner. And that meant going to the store. She was on a tight budget, but she thought she deserved to splurge on a nice meal before her big day. She pulled out her phone and searched for the closest Whole Foods. She would have to take a 30-minute ride on the bus. It would give her the opportunity to see the city on the way. Sometimes her optimism was her greatest quality.</p><p>The city lights were beautiful, as they sparkled in the night. She took note of everything she saw through the bus window on her trip to the store. Once she arrived, she hopped off and looked around. She was definitely in a nicer area of Boston. Everything definitely looked gentrified. She walked a block to the Whole Foods, and once inside, she added some things to her basket—a salmon fillet, asparagus, and a bottle of wine. She picked up some fresh brussel sprouts too, but then put them back. Buying them would make her go over her budget. It was either those or the asparagus, and she was craving the latter. </p><p>Before she found the register, she decided to pick up a little treat. She was usually the type for something fruity, but tonight she thought to change things up. She went down the aisle with the candy and stopped in front of the chocolate. Her eyes scanned the selection until it stopped on the Ghirardelli chocolate bars. White chocolate or intense dark, she asked herself. She bit her lip as she contemplated the choices.  </p><p>She reached for the white chocolate but quickly changed her mind and grabbed the intense dark. It was the last one, so she knew it was meant for her. She tossed it into her basket and went to check out. She now had everything she needed.</p><hr/><p>Ethan was out taking Jenner for a walk. He decided to stop by the store to pick up something for dinner. He needed to make a large meal that would last him the week because his hands would be full. Tomorrow was the first day of the new interns. He heard himself groan at the thought. Jenner did too and barked up at him. </p><p>“Trust me, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere near them. They can be… incompetent.”</p><p>He tied Jenner to a bike rack outside the Whole Foods. “I’ll be right back.” Ethan went into the store as Jenner sat there, obediently waiting for his return. It was a routine they’d done many times.</p><p>Ethan ran through a mental checklist as he put in the necessary ingredients for a mushroom risotto into his basket. But along with his mental checklist, he also thought about the long day ahead. He would have to go on rounds with the interns. He wasn’t confident in how medical school had prepared some of them. But there was one person he was anticipating to see in action. It was the medical student that he personally matched into the program—Zyra Lewis. Her application stood out amongst all of the others. At first, when Harper asked him to help her and the previous Chief Resident to weed through the applications, he declined at first. But then he thought perhaps he could actually identify some true talent. Lewis was who he hoped to be that true talent. Sometimes when he read her application, she reminded him a bit of himself. He saw her potential, just as Naveen saw his. If he was right, he would be open to mentoring her. And if he was right, she could very well become the leading diagnostician of her generation. </p><p>He had two more things to pick up, a bottle of scotch and his other vice, chocolate. He preferred purchasing his scotch at a small liquor store 10 minutes away, but he wasn’t in the mood to make an extra trip. He found his substitute scotch and headed towards the aisle with the chocolate. He already had a favorite brand, and dark chocolate was his favorite. He laid eyes on the Ghirardelli chocolate bars, but the intense dark was all out. He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. It looked like he had to settle for the milk chocolate. </p><p>He tossed the bar into his basket without a care. He may not have all he needed, but at least it’ll help get him through the night.</p><hr/><p>Zyra carried her single bag of groceries and left through the automatic double doors. When she walked out, she saw a chocolate lab sitting outside staring in her direction. It wasn’t there when she had arrived. It was terribly cute. Suddenly, it stood up and tried to approach her, its tail wagging rapidly behind it. But the length of the leash prevented the dog from getting near her. </p><p>All it did was whine.</p><p>“Hey, boy.” She approached it. As she grew closer, its mouth opened and smiled. She petted the top of the dog’s head. “Aren’t you a sweet boy.”</p><p>Zyra saw her bus coming down the street. </p><hr/><p>Ethan left the store, feeling disappointed with his shopping. When he reached outside, he saw Jenner looking to the left, and whining.</p><p>“Bye, boy!” a woman yelled as she ran away, crossing the street. It looked like she was trying to catch the bus.</p><p>“Did you make a friend?” </p><p>Ethan unhooked the leash from around the bike rack and began to walk in the opposite direction. But Jenner wouldn’t budge and kept staring in the direction of the woman. His whining became louder.</p><p>“And here I thought you’d be happy to see me.” Ethan sighed. </p><p>Jenner turned towards Ethan and jumped up at him, his front paws hitting against his chest. </p><p>“Okay, okay. I forgive you.” Ethan chuckled. “Come on, let’s go.”</p><p>Ethan headed home with his best friend. He was looking forward to the meal he was going to cook, but he was not looking forward to tomorrow, even though something was telling him that this next year was going to be unprecendented.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>